The five best players without a green jacket

April 9, 2013 |Associated Press

With the Masters coming up, here's a look at some of the best who have never won the tournament.

Arthur Jones/File

5. Tom Weiskopf

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Tom Weiskopf doesn't have a green jacket, but he at least got his name in the record book at Augusta National as the most runner-up finishes — four — without ever winning. Worse yet for Weiskopf is that he had those four second-place finishes over seven years.

It wasn't a lack of effort, and more than anything it was bad timing at Augusta. He was three shots out of the lead in 1969 and wound up one shot behind George Archer. Three years later, he couldn't make up any ground against Jack Nicklaus, finishing three shots back. In 1974, he again was three shots back of Dave Stockton and finished behind Gary Player. The following year was painful.

Weiskopf had a one-shot lead over his nemesis, Nicklaus, and they went back-and-forth on the back nine until Nicklaus holed his long birdie putt on the 16th and Weiskopf never caught up. He missed a birdie putt on the 18th, and the Golden Bear had another green jacket.

He summed up his career best from the broadcast booth when asked what Nicklaus was thinking as he stood over an important shot. "If I knew what he was thinking," Weiskopf said, "I'd have won this championship."

Arthur Jones/File

5. Tom Weiskopf

2of7

Tom Weiskopf doesn't have a green jacket, but he at least got his name in the record book at Augusta National as the most runner-up finishes — four — without ever winning. Worse yet for Weiskopf is that he had those four second-place finishes over seven years.

It wasn't a lack of effort, and more than anything it was bad timing at Augusta. He was three shots out of the lead in 1969 and wound up one shot behind George Archer. Three years later, he couldn't make up any ground against Jack Nicklaus, finishing three shots back. In 1974, he again was three shots back of Dave Stockton and finished behind Gary Player. The following year was painful.

Weiskopf had a one-shot lead over his nemesis, Nicklaus, and they went back-and-forth on the back nine until Nicklaus holed his long birdie putt on the 16th and Weiskopf never caught up. He missed a birdie putt on the 18th, and the Golden Bear had another green jacket.

He summed up his career best from the broadcast booth when asked what Nicklaus was thinking as he stood over an important shot. "If I knew what he was thinking," Weiskopf said, "I'd have won this championship."